Soooo, the crappy economic sitch means big designer discounts, obvs. Even new stuff incurs a price-slashing as soon as it hits the racks and/or the Interweb. It’s easy to get giddy over this phenomenon; isn’t a 50% off tag the silver lining of the overpriced handbag storm cloud?
Au contraire, dollfaces. If we had money to burn, this would be cause for joy. We don’t, yet we remain easily convinced that because we’re getting those Hollywould navy suede boots – complete with black grosgrain ribbon AND removable legwarmers – for $235 as opposed to $650, we’re saving $415.
No, no, and EFF no.
I won’t deny that uber-fab boots at less than half their original price aren’t a steal in some circles. But ask yourself this: If you hadn’t signed up for daily emails alerting you to deals of this ilk, would you still be out two hundred and thirty-five-plus-shipping-and-handling bucks? I don’t THINK so.
Right now, you’re probs thinking there’s no harm in receiving an email a day from Ideeli, or Hautelook, and/or Shop It To Me; you can always delete them; it’s not like you don’t have any self-control. That might be true… until you’re notified of a one-day-only Theory sale and you swear you’ll just look and oh that’s a kickass blazer and what?! 70% off! and click, click, BOOM!
Another $200 bites the dust.
Designer-discount, members-only shopping sites masquerade as exclusive clubs so that, upon receiving an invite, you feel “chosen,” privy to coveted deals, etc. My hunch is that if you’ve bought anything online EVER, you’re either already one of the chosen ones or you will be soon. Sites like these operate on one principle:
If you see it, you will buy it.
I’m not anti-ecommerce in general; I’m against anything that takes the active choice factor out of spending money. Clicking your Bluefly bookmark to shop for a new peacoat might not seem that different from navigating to a Marc Jacobs sale via a suggestive email. But with the latter, you run the risk of spending money without actually intending to do so. And that, my little chickadees, is just effing stupid. Especially now.
This concludes today’s lecture on the Philosophy of Choice re: Buying Stuff (what?!). ‘Cause Fashion’s deep like that. 
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The Canadian dollar isn’t strong and I’m too cheap to pay for shipping; that’s usually enough of a deterrent from online shopping for me.
I NEVER make an impulse purchase online. Even if I randomly find something I want on a web site, I make myself check thrift stores and TJ Maxx for similar-but-cheaper items. If I still want it after all that, I have to try on the item (or a similar item from the same brand) in a store before comparison shopping on Ebay, Google, whatever.
If I STILL want the item after all that BS, I just might buy it. Or I might complain to Mommy about my online shopping troubles and hope to find it under the X-mas tree.
hautelook kills me with their shipping rates totally turns off my mojo everytime I feel the needs. That being said… I still indulge in the daily emails if not for anything to appear like the shopping goddess I know I am and send my THeory loving friends tips, my sister an update on where to buy a matching salad bowl to her china, or my mom to find shoes that are cute yet also comfy for her next travel sojourn. The kudos I receive are even better than the shopping high received from clicking the order submit button
I just found out Tuesday that I am being laid off at the end of the year. You bet I’ve been deleting every email Tobi and Bluefly send me. This is just such a hard time of year because everyone wants you to shop for gifts and party clothes and whatever.
I will be looking at what I have and trying to combine things with accessories in new ways, because I think it will be long into the new year before I feel I can buy anything that isn’t food or shelter.